Morning Headlines - Tuesday, Jun. 21, 2022 | Recent News

U.S. and World Headlines

Tuesday's House Jan. 6 Hearing To Focus On Trump Pressuring State Officials

The House select committee examining the January 6 assault on the U.S. Capitol will convene Tuesday for its fourth public hearing this month. This session will focus on President Trump's efforts to pressure state officials as part of his broader campaign to remain in office for a second term after losing the 2020 election.

Expected to appear before the panel are two GOP elections officials from Georgia, Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, a Republican, and Gabriel Sterling, chief operating officer for the secretary of state's office, as well as Arizona House Speaker Rusty Bowers, also a Republican. Wandrea ArShaye "Shaye" Moss, a former election worker from Fulton County, Georgia, will also appear.

GOP Senators Downplay Jan. 6 Panel’s Importance

Senate Republicans are downplaying the impact of the House Jan. 6 hearings, which have shed new light on former President Trump’s actions to incite a crowd to storm the Capitol in an effort to stop the certification of Joe Biden’s victory.

Senate Republicans generally feel confident the damaging revelations won’t have much impact on the midterm elections, citing economic factors such as inflation as far more significant in moving voters.

Pence Says He Won’t Let Dems Use Jan. 6 ‘To Distract’ From Their 'Failed Agenda,' Praises Trump Record

Former Vice President Mike Pence said Monday he "will not allow the Democrats" to use Jan. 6 to "distract attention from their failed agenda" and praised former President Trump’s record, while indicating, though, that his decision on whether to run for the White House in 2024 will not be impacted by Trump’s own re-election plans.

During a sit-down interview with Fox News Digital on the sidelines of a speech on economic policy at the University Club in Chicago, Pence reflected on the current state of the nation under the Biden administration, telling Fox News that President Biden is "embracing the politics of the radical left."

S. Korea Runs 1st Successful Homegrown Space Rocket Launch

South Korea successfully launched its first homegrown space rocket on Tuesday, officials said, a triumph that boosted the country’s growing space ambitions but also proved it has key technologies to build a space-based surveillance system and bigger missiles amid animosities with rival North Korea.

The three-stage Nuri rocket succeeded in releasing and placing its functioning “performance verification” satellite at a target altitude of 700 kilometers (435 miles) after its 4 p.m. liftoff from South Korea’s space launch center on a southern island, the Science Ministry said.

Longest Day (Summer Solstice) – June 21, 2022

The Longest Day (Summer Solstice) is observed on either June 20, 21, or 22, but this year, it falls on June 21. The timing shifts because it depends on when the Sun reaches its northernmost point from the celestial equator.

It signals the start of astronomical summer. As a result, the days get shorter as summer progresses, first gradually but then at increasingly larger daily intervals as the September equinox approaches and ushers in the beginning of fall. Because the Sun travels across the sky in its most elongated path during the summer solstice, that day has the most daylight hours.

Cruz On ‘UpFront’ Says Wisconsin A ‘Pivotal Battleground’

Texas U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz will be in Milwaukee on Saturday, headlining an event meant to mobilize Republican voters ahead of the midterms.

“It absolutely underscores that Wisconsin is a pivotal battleground,” Cruz said on WISN’s “UpFront,” which is produced in partnership with WisPolitics.com. “It has been a perennial purple state. It is a battleground. The road to a Senate majority comes through Wisconsin.”

DATCP Lifts State Order Prohibiting Poultry At Live Events

The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) announces that the statewide order prohibiting movement of poultry to all live events has been lifted. The order had been in effect since May to prevent the spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in Wisconsin.

While poultry is now permitted at live events, DATCP continues to encourage strong biosecurity practices including cleaning and disinfecting, restricting access by visitors and wild birds, and keeping separate shoes and clothes to wear around flocks. Since March, 22 domestic flocks in 14 Wisconsin counties have been confirmed with the virus, and states continue to identify new infections at backyard and commercial farms.

Jury Finds Waterford Man Guilty In Civil Storm Water Case

The Wisconsin Department of Justice (DOJ) announced today that on June 10, 2022, Steven R. Sharpe of Waterford, Wisconsin, was sentenced to pay a monetary penalty of $39,531.00, and prohibited from submitting storm water permitting documents to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources for a period of three years.

A jury found Sharpe guilty of failing to obtain a storm water permit, failing to develop a storm water management plan, and failing to inspect storm water best management practices (BMPs) after a trial on May 16-18, 2022, before Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Kristy Yang. Sharpe also pled no contest to a violation alleging that he failed to implement and maintain storm water BMPs at a City of Milwaukee construction site.

Planned Parenthood Will Begin Referring Abortions Out-Of-State

Abortion will soon be a thing of the past with the borders of Wisconsin. Beginning on Saturday, Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin will direct patients to out-of-state facilities for abortions, or work with them to find alternative care.

The organization has stopped scheduling abortions past in anticipation of a US Supreme Court ruling to overturn Roe versus Wade, which could come as soon as next Monday.

As Heat Returns To Wisconsin, Farmers Work To Keep Their Cows Cool

Mitch Breunig, owner of Mystic Valley Dairy in Sauk City, started preparing for this week’s extreme heat days ago by giving his barn fans a tune-up.

"I made sure the belts are tight and cleaned the blades to make sure that they're operating at maximum efficiency. So when it gets hot today, you know we're not looking in the barns and saying, 'Oh we’ve got four fans not running,' because once it’s hot, it’s too late," Breunig said Monday.

Another heat advisory hit much of the state this week, driving heat index values above 100 degrees Monday. The high heat and humidity is expected to continue for much of the state Tuesday.

With the extreme temperatures, dairy and livestock producers are doing everything they can to keep their animals cool and help them avoid heat stress.